Combined hand microphone and control means



Sept. 16, 1952 A. c. DE NAPOLI, JR 2,511,042

COMBINED HAND MICROPHONE AND CONTROL MEANS Original Filed April 28, 19493 Sheets-Sheet l //v VEN TOR ANTHONY C. pE/VAPOLI, JR.

J WQW Sept. 16, 1952 A. c. DE NAPOLI, JR 2,611,042

COMBINED HAND MICROPHONE 'AND CONTROL MEANS Original Filed April 28,1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ANTI- 0N? C. DEA/APOLI, JR.

Sept. 16, 1952 A. c. DE NAPOLI, JR

COMBINED HAND MICROPHONE AND CONTROL MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 OriginalFiled April 28, 1949 /NVN7'0R ANTHONY C. DE/VAPOLI, JR.

anew-0 Patented Sept. 16, 1952 I COMBINED HAND MICROPHONE AND CONTROLMEANS Anthony De Napoli, Jr., Windsor, Conn., as

signorto The Soundscriber Corporation, New Haven, Conn., a corporationof Connecticut 7 Original application April 28, 1949, Serial No.

90,176. Divided and this application September 19, 1950, Serial No.185,549

7 Claims.

This invention relates to phonographic apparatus, and more particularlyto portable hand microphone instrument which is adapted to serve also asa sound reproducer, and which has means for controlling the operation ofa dictating machine to which it is connected.

One object of this invention is to provide an Y apparatus of the abovenature wherein a single lever is adapted to operate both a switch forcontrolling a turntable motor, and a switch for controlling theselective operation of a recording and playback apparatus in thedictating machine.

' Another object is to provide an apparatus of the above naturewhichwill permit portions of a recording to be played back as desired duringthe course of a recording operation, without requiring' that theoperator direct his attention to the dictating machine.

Another object is to provide an instrument of the above nature having alamp which is so connected as to indicate whether the dictating machineis in condition to record dictation.

Another object isto provide a dictating machine having recording andplayback apparatus in combination with a portable microphone instrumenthaving means for controlling said apparatus. 7

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the above nature whichwill be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy toinstall and manipulate, ornamental in appearance, and very efficient anddurable in use.

With these and other objects in view, there have been illustrated on theaccompanying drawing two forms in which the invention may be embodied inpractice.

In the drawin Fig. lis a front view of the improved handmicrophoneinstrument.

, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same, taken on a planeat right angles to Fig. 1,

showing the actuating lever in its ofi position,

and showing the indicator lamp, the transducer unit, the selectorswitch, and the motor switch. I Fig. 3 is-a front view of the same withthe actuating lever, the microphone cap, and the re' tinge.

2 r Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view, on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, similar to Fig. 2,but showing the actuating lever pressed inwardly to an unlatchedrecording position. n

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, similar to Fig. 2,but showing the actuating lever pressed inwardly and slid upwardly tolatched recording position.

Fig. 11' is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, simila'rto Fig.2, but showing the actuating lever pressed inwardly and slid downwardlyto playback position. P

Fig. 12 is a circuit diagram showing how the microphone instrument wouldbe connected to a dictating machine having two amplifiers.

Fig. 13 is a circuit. diagram showin how the internal circuits of themicrophone instrument would be modified with the use of a dictatingmachine having a single recording and playback 7 reference numeralsdenote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the improvedhand microphone instrument is indicated generally by the numeral Ill,and comprises a body member II having an elongated channel-shaped handleportion I2, and a rounded head l3 at one end of said handle portion. Theinterior of the handle portion I2 is divided into a lower cavity I4, amiddle cavity I5, and an upper cavity I6 by means of lower and uppertransverse partitions l1, I8, respectively, and is provided with anapertured wall I9. at its lower end.

The outer edges of the lower partition II, the

upperpartition I8, and the end wall I9. lie in a common plane which isdisposed at an intermediate point in the depth of the channel-shapedportion I2, and support a flat retaininglplate 28 which is secured tothe lower and upperltransverse partitions II, I8 by means ofscrews 2L22.

A rectangular turntable motor switch 23 is retained in the middle cavityI5 by means of the plate 20, and is provided with an outwardly-extendingoperating button 24, which is disposed in an opening in said plate.

Provision is also made of .a circular selector switch 25, which has anupwardly-extending operating button 26 and which is held in the lowerportion of the upper cavity I6 and upon the lower end 29 which ismovably engaged with a hooked lower end 38 of the retaining plate 28 insuch a manner as to retain the lower portion of the lever 28 in thehandle portion I2, while permitting limited horizontal swinging andvertical sliding movement of the actuating lever 28. The lever 28 isnormally urged upwardly to a neutral position by means of an angularspring 3! which is supported in a pair of slots 32 in the edges of theretaining plate 28 (Fig. 5) and which engages the lower surface of a lug33 integrally formed upon the inner side of the lever 28.

In order to facilitate operation of the'actuating lever 28, the outerside thereof is provided with a serrated concave surface portion 33awhich is adapted to be engaged by the users thumb.

The motor switch is adapted to be operated by means of a lug 34 which isintegrally formed upon a central portion of the inner surface of theactuating lever 28, and which is engageable with the switch operatingbutton 24. It will be noted that the lug 34 is of a sufiicientlongitudinal extent as to be engageable with the operating button 24 atany point in the vertical sliding movement of the actuating lever 28, sothat th motor switch 23 may always be operated by pressing the lever 28inwardly without regard to the longitudinal position of s'aid'lever.

In order to operate the selector'switch 25, the upper end of theactuating lever 28 is provided with an inwardly-extending nose 35 whichoverhangs 'the'operating button '26. The actuating lever 28 is soproportioned that when said lever 28 is slid to its lowermost position,as shown in Fig. 11, the switch-operating button 26 will be depressed,while in all other positions of the actuating lever 28 the nose 35 willbe raised so as to release the button 26.

Thus, it will be seen that while the operator presses the actuatinglever 28 inwardly to maintain the motor switch operating button 24depressed, the selector switch operating button 26 may be selectivelypressed or'released depending upon the longitudinal position of thelever 28.

In order to limit outward movement of the actuating lever 28, and thusprevent its separation from the handle portion I2, provision is made ofai downwardly-extending lip 35 which is interallyformed upon a. hollowmicrophone cap 31 secured to the head' l3 by means of a pair of screwsThe lip 36 is adapted to engage the outer face of the inwardly-extendingnose 35 when the ac- Provision is also made of an outwardly-offsetshoulder 36a at the upper end of the lever 28, which may be engagedunder the lip 36 by slidin said lever upwardly to the position shown inFig. 10, so that the motor switch operating button 24 will be helddepressed without further'attention on the part of the operator.

The head l3 of the body member I l is provided with acircular cavity 39(Figs. 2 and 8). which joins the upper cavity l6 and contains amicrophone unit 48 of a dynamic type which is adapted to servealso as -asound reproducer, and will be referred to hereinafter as a transducerunit. The transducer unit 48 is provided with an outer peripheral flange4| which is disposed within the hollow microphone cap 31 and is seatedupon a raised edge 42 'of the head I3 (Fig. 8).

The microphone cap 31 has a slotted central grille portion 43 tofacilitate the passage of sound to and from the transducer unit 48, andis also provided with an upper 'window 44 to permit'observation of anindicator lamp 45 which is disposedin a transverse cavity 46 in the cap31 above the transducer unit 48.

If desired, the microphone instrument [8 may also be provided with ana'nti-click"-motor switch condenser 41 which is disposed in the uppercavity l6 above the selector switch 25. The instrument I8 is alsoprovided with a cable 48, which enters the instrument throughastrainrelief device 48'secured in the apertured end wall [8, and whichhas six conductors 58, 5!, 52, 53. 54, and 55, which will be'furth'erdescribed hereinafter in connection with Fig. 12.

The edges of the lower and upper transverse partitions l7, (8 arenotched in order to permit theconductors to extend upwardly to the motorswitch 23, the selector switch 25, the condenser 41, the transducer unit48, and the indicator lamp 455, as shownin Fig. 3. Bottom and sidechannels 56, 5'! (Fig.2) are also provided in the head 13 in order topermit a pair of the conductors to extend to the indicator lamp 45.

As shown in Fig. 12, the selector switch 25 is provided with a pair ofmovable switch arms 58. 59 which are urged against respective contacts68, 6 I, by means of a spring 62 and are adapted to be disengaged fromsaid contacts when the operating button 26 is depressed. I

The selector switch 25 is also provided with a contact 63 which isconnected to the wire 52 and which is adapted to be engaged by theswitch arm 58 when the operating button 26 is depressed. The transducerunit 48 is connected to the wire 5| and is also connected to the movableswitch arm 58 by means of a wire 64, whereby the transducer unit 48 maybe switched selectively between the wire 58 and the Wire 52.

The contact 6| of the selector switch 25 is'connected to the indicatorlamp '45 by means of a "wire 65, said lamp being connected also to thewire 53 of the cable '48. The switch arm 59 is connected to the wire 54by means of a wire 66, whereby a circuit may-be completed from the wire53 through the indicator lamp 45 't the wire The motor switch 23comprises 'a m'ovable switch arm 61' which is adapted to engage acontact 68 when the operating button 24 is depressed, but is normallyurged away from said contact by means of a spring 69.

The switch arm-'61 and the contact 68 are connected respectively to thewires 54, 5545f the cable 48 and thecondenser 41 is connected'across thewires 54, 55 by means of wires 18, H.

:ilThe'microphone instrument l8 is'adapted to .be used in connectionwith a dictating machine 12 having a recording head 13 connected to'theoutput of a recording amplifier 14, a playback head connected to theinput of av playback amplifier l6, and a motor 11 for driving a tumtableor otherrecord operating means .The input of the recording amplifier i4is connected to the wire 58, 5| by, wires 18,719, respectively, whilethe output of the playback amplifier 16 is connected to the wires 5|,52, by vWires .80, 8|, respectively.

., .Thus, it will be seenthat the transducer unit 48 may beselectivelyconnected either to the input of the recording amplifier so as to serveas a microphone, or to the. output of the playback amplifier 16 so as toserve as a sound re- .producer, depending upon the position of, the

.contact 6|, the transducer unit being connected to the recordingamplifier I4 at the same time. f

The circuit of the indicator lamp is completed by means of a wire 84connecting the wire 53 to a switch arm 85 adapted to engage a contact 88which is connected to the wire, 83,by means of a wire 8l, A mechanicalconnection 88 is provided between the switch arm 85 and the recordinghead 13,; said connection being so arranged as to engage the switch arm85 with the contact 85 when the. recordinghead i3 is placed in operatingposition upon the surface of .a record, and to disengage said switch armfrom said contact when the recording head is disengagedrfrom the record.vIn normal practice, the switch arm 85 may be actuatedinconjunction withrecording head operating mechanism such as is shownin the patent toLincoln Thomp4- son, No. 2,250,242, issued July 22, 1941, entitled DiskDictating Machines? h I In' order to provide power for the turntablemotor 11, the dictating machine 12 is provided with a pairof wires 89,98 which are supplied with alternating current from any suitable source,the wire 89 being connetced directly to one side of the motor 11. Thecircuit is adapted to be completed through the motor 11 by means of ,arelay 9| having a contact 92 which is connected to the motor 11 by meansof a wire; 93,

.and a swingable relay arm 94 which is connected to the, wire 90.

The relay 91 also includes a coil 95 for operating the relay arm 94,said coil being connected When the microphone instrumentifl and thedictating machine 12 are incondition for operaen aged with-a recommember, whereupon the -mechanical connection .88 will close the switcharm 85 against the contact 85 sothat the indicator lamp 45 will becontrolled j by movements of the switch arm 61in the selector switch;25. When' the operator wishes to dictate, he will merely press theactuating lever 28 inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 9, in whichthe operating button 24 of the motor switch 23 is depressed so as toclose the switch arm 61 against the, contact 68; and thus energize therelay- 9] and operate the turntable motor TI.

In this position of the actuating lever 28 (Fig. 9),..the button 26 ofthe selector switch 25 will, of course, be in a released position sothat. the spring 62 Will hold the switch arms 58 and 59 againstthe-contacts 60, and 6i, respectively. Thus the transducer unit 48 willbe operatively connected as a microphone to the recording amplifier I4,and will cause the recording head 13 to produce a suitable sound trackupona driven by the motor 11. I

The indicator lamp 45 will also be illuminated, thus showing theoperator that the dictating machine is in condition circuit-wise toreceive dictation. The dictating machine 12 will, of course, continue tooperate as a-recorder as long as the operator holds the actuating lever28 inwardly, in the position shown in Fig. 9.

However, if the operator should wish to be relieved of the necessity ofholding the actuating lever 28 inwardly during the recording operation,as for example during a prolonged period of dic tation, or if he shoulddesire to lay the instrument lildown while dictating, he will merelyrecord slide the actuating lever 28 upwardly into, the

position shown in Fig, 10. d

In this position, the shoulder 36a of the lever 28 will be engaged underthe lip 36, thus holding the operating button 24 in and maintaining theswitch-arm 61 of the motor switch 23 in engagement with the contact 68,It will be understood that the various elementsof the apparatus will bein the same operating condition when, the

actuating lever 28 is in the position shown in Fig. 10, as when saidlever is in the position shown in Fig. 9, excepting only thatFig. 9shows the actuating lever 28 as it would be manually held in recordingposition, whileQFig. 10 shows said leverlatched in recording position, r

If the, operator should desire to play backany portion of the recordedmaterial, he will hold the actuating lever 28 inwardly while sliding it"60 to the contact 53, and connecting the trans- .a reproducer, theswitch arm 59 will of course be tion,- the recording head 13" willbe-operatively '75 ducer unit 48 as a reproducer to the outputof theplayback amplifier 16. V

When the transducer unit 40 is connected. as

M odified form -The hand instrument In maybe adapted for use-with adictating machine 81 having a single again-wan '7 recommend playbackamplifier 8'8 m'ereiyby inodifying the electrical circuitswithin saidin- 'strument asshown in-Fi'g. v13.

. -In the modifiedi'orm, thetransducer unit '40 is connected directlytoa 'pair of Wires, 99, I00, leading from the:microphdneinstrument I intheca'ble '48; and the switch arm 58 and the contact 83' in the selector"switch 25 are respectively connected to wires IOI, I02 in said cable.The contacts 60, BI and the switch arm-59 "of the sel'ector switch 25are not 'used in the modified form, and it will be understood that theswitch 25 may, if desired, be replaced with a switch having asingle-pole single throw "struc- -'-ture.

I h'e switch arm 61 of 'themotor switch 23 is connected to the wire I02by means of "a wire I03withinthe instrument I0, while the contact 68 isconnected to a 'Wire I04 of thecable 48. 0n'o'side of the indicator lamp45 is connected to the wire I03 by means of a'wire I05, while theotherside of said lamp is connected to a wife I08 of the cable 43.

The anti-click condenser 41 is connected across the motor switch 23 bymeans of wires 10,

are connected to a suitable source of rectified altcrn'ating current bymeans of a pair of wires III, IIO, respectively, thus placing the relayI01 under the control of the selector switch 25.

The relay I01 is provided with a pair of mov- -ab1e relay arms II2, II3, which are adapted to "be opera-ted in unison by means of theactuating coil I08, and which are connected respec- -tively, "by meansof wires H8, M1, to an input transformer II4 and to an outputtransformer I I5 of the amplifier 98.

'When the relay coil I08 is inactive, the relay arm II2 will engage arelay contact II8 which is connected to the microphone wire 99 by meansof a wire II9, thus'connecting the transducer unit 40 as a microphone tothe input'trans 'iormer II4. At the same time, the relay arm II 3 willengage a relay contact I20, which is connected 'to a recording head I2Iby means of a wire I22, thus connecting said recording head to theoutput transformer I I5.

The circuit through the transducer unit 40 and the input transformer H4is completed through a conductor I23,which is connected'to -the-microphone wire I00, and which has a branch I24 connected to the inputtransformer 'II4, while the circuit through the output transformer H5and the recording head I2I is com- "pleted through-the conductor I23 andbranches I25, I26.

In order to energize the indicator lamp 45 when the transducer unit 40is'connecte'd for operation as a microphone, the relay I01"is'pr0- yidedwith a third movable relay arm I21, which 'is disposed in engagementwith .a relay contact I28 when the relay actuating coil I08 is in- 1active. The relay arm I21 is adapted to be connected to the wire IIIthrough a wire I 21a, a switch arm 85, a contact 86, and a wire I29,while-therelay-contact I28 is connected to the Jump wire-I06 by meansota wire I30, whereby 'ithe :indicator lamp 45 may be :connected with thesource 'of rectified alternating current through the'wires I10, III.A-mechanical'co'nnection 88 is provided between the switch arm 85"-an"dthe recording head I2I, and it will understood that said connection 88will operate to hold the indicator lampcircuit open when therecording-head I2I is "not operatively engaged with the record.

The relay I01 also includes a pair of relay contacts I3I, I32 which areadapted 'to be engaged by the relay arms H2, H3, respectively, when therelay coil I08 is energized by means'of the #slector'switchfi. Therelayicontacts I31, I32 areconnected respectively to a playback head I33by 'me'an's of 'awire I34, and to the wire III! by means of 'a branchwire I35.

A circuit isadapted'to be completed through the playback head I33 byrneans of a. branch wire 136 connecting said playback head to theconductor I23. Thus, when the relay coil I00 energized, the transducerunit 40 will be connected as a 'reproducer to the output trans-.io'rme'r 'III5, while 'the playback head I33 will be connected to th'einput transformer H4.

The relay arm I21, is, of course, connected for'simultaneousmovementwith the relay arms II2, I I3, so that whenthe transducer unit 40 isconnected for operation as a reproducer, the indicator lamp will beextinguished, "thus warning the operator that the dictating machine 91is not in condition for recording dictati'on.

The dictating machine91'is also providedwith a motor I31=for operating aturntable or other record-driving member, and a'rela'y I38 which isconnected to the motor switch 23' for controlling said motor. The motorI31 is adapted to beisupplied with current from any suitable source bymeans or wires I39, I40, and i's connected in series 'with a movablerelay arm MI and a relay contact I 42 in the'relay I38. The contact I42isconn'ected to the motor by means of a Wire I43, while the relay arm MIis connected to the'wire I40. The "relay I38 also comprisesan-actuatin'g 'c'o'il I44, which is connected atone side to the wire I,and at its other side to the wire I04 "bymeans of a Wire I45. Thus, whenthe motor switch '23 --isjopcrated to close the circuit through therelay 'coil I44, the relay'arm 'I4I will engage the contact I42 'so asto energ'ize'the turntable motor I31.

Operation When the instrument I'0 and the dictating machine 91 are incondition for operation, the 'operator may dictate after first pressingthe actuating 'lever'28 inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 9.

Theiinward movement of thelever 28 will, of course, depress theoperating button '24 so'as to engage the motor switch arm 81 with thecon- -manually-holdmg the actuating lever he will,

of course, slide said lever upwardly into the latched position shown inFig. 10.

If the operator should now desire to play back any portion of therecorded material, he will slide the actuating lever 28 downwardly tothe position shown in Fig. 11, while holding it pressed inwardly,whereupon the selector switch bottom 26 will be depressed so as toengage the switch arm 58 with the contact 63 and thus energize the relaycoil I08. This will result in a downward movement of the relay arms H2,H3, thus connecting the transducer unit 40 as a reproducer, and placingthe playback head I33 in operation.

Simultaneously with the downward movement or the relay arms H2, H3, therelay arm I21 will be separated from the contact I28, thus extinguishingthe indicator lamp 45 and warning the operator that the dictatingmachine is not in condition to receive dictation.

While there have been disclosedin this specification two forms in whichthe invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that these formsare shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the inventionis not to be limited to the specific disclosures, but may be modifiedand embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit.In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodimentscoming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, andfor which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a hand microphone instrument, a body member having a microphoneunit and a pair of switches therein, a slidable and swinga'ble actuatinglever pivotally carried by said body member, said actuating levercomprising a nose at its upper end for operating one of said switchesduring sliding movement of said lever, and a centrally located lug foroperating the other of said switches during swinging movement of saidlever, whereby said switches may be controlled solely :by operation ofsaid lever.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, including a lip secured to saidbody member and overlying the upper end of said actuating lever forretaining said lever in said body member.

3. In a hand microphone instrument, a body member having therein amicrophone unit, a motor switch, a selector switch, said switches havingdepressable operating buttons, a longitudinally slidable and inwardlyswingable actuating lever carried by said body member, said actuatinglever comprising a nose at its upper end for depressing the operatingbuttonof said selector switch during downward sliding movement of saidlever and a centrally located lug for depressing the operating button ofsaid'motor switch during swinging movement of said lever, and a springurging said lever upwardly away from said selector switch button.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3, including a lip secured to saidbody member and overlying the upper end of said actuating lever forretainin said lever in said body member.

5. The invention as defined in claim 3, including a lip secured to saidbody member and overlying the upper end of said actuating lever forretaining said lever in said body member, said actuating lever beinprovided with a shoulder engageable under said lip for latching saidlever in inward position.

6. The invention as defined in claim 3, wherein said switches are heldby a retaining plate secured in said body member, the lower end of saidretaining plate having a loose hook and slot fulcrum connection withsaid actuating lever for slidably and swingably holding said lever.

7. In a hand microphone instrument, a body member having an upper hollowhead portion, and a channel-shaped handle portion, which portions areopen toward the front of said instrument, a microphone unit retained insaid head portion by a cap, an actuating lever closing the front of saidhandle portion, means securing said actuating lever for longitudinallyslidable and inwardly swingable movement with relation to said handleportion, a switch in said handle portion having an operating button inalignment with and adapted to be closed by said lever when said lever isswung inwardly, and said cap having means for latching said lever ininwardlyswung position when said lever is slid upwardly, whereby saidswitch may be held closed selectively by holding said actuating levermanually, or by latching said lever.

ANTHONY C. DE NAPOLI, J R.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,432,370 Bayley Dec. 9, 19472,452,830 Braun Nov. 2, 1 948 2,464,184 Pearce Mar. 8, 1949

